All About Section 122, Trump’s New Tariff Provision: QuickTake

After the Supreme Court invalidated tariffs that the US had imposed using an emergency powers statute, the Trump administration swiftly invoked a different law, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, to set a flat 10% levy on imports. President Donald Trump later said he would boost the import tax to 15%.

Section 122, which has never before been used, allows presidents to impose duties in situations where the US faces what the law defines as “fundamental international payments problems.” Economists and policy experts have debated whether Trump will be able to build a solid legal framework for his ...